The photo above is a reverse of yesterday's photo of the Laura Turner Concert Hall at The Schermerhorn Symphony Center. I took this photo from the seats at the back of the stage, and you can clearly see the three levels of seats in the hall. There are approximately 1860 seats in the hall - about 600 fewer than were in the Jackson Hall where the Symphony performed for years - providing a "more intimate" setting for performances.
A closer look at the seats shows that they consist of a wood frame with a padded, cloth seat and 
back. I've been told that the plans originally called for more cloth on the seats, but that engineers advised the Board that the cloth absorbs sound and would affect what the audience hears. Therefore, every seat in the house, including the expensive box seats (which are individual chairs instead of the "stadium-style" seats of the main floor and balconies), are mostly cherry wood.
back. I've been told that the plans originally called for more cloth on the seats, but that engineers advised the Board that the cloth absorbs sound and would affect what the audience hears. Therefore, every seat in the house, including the expensive box seats (which are individual chairs instead of the "stadium-style" seats of the main floor and balconies), are mostly cherry wood.Speaking of cloth and acoustics, the Symphony asks (read: requires) the audience check their coats when attending a performance to "enhance the acoustical experience" inside of the hall. There are several complimentary coat-check stands on each level of the Schermerhorn. Interesting, no?
Notice, also, that there is no carpeting on the floor of the hall. Like the chairs, the floor is cherry. However, one of the most interesting facts about the main floor is that it can be converted from the traditional concert seating to a cabaret-style floor in hours. A motorized system can lower the tiered rows of seats into a storage space below, replacing them with a flat, 5,700 square-foot, hardwood floor. The converted space can accommodate close to 600 people in a cabaret-style venue (tables and chairs), as well as food and/or buffet tables, bars, etc.
There is, by the way, a 3,000 square-foot, fully equipped commercial kitchen in the SCC, and the chef and staff can cater events held at the Center. In addition, there is a public garden and cafe that are open daily.
Please join me tomorrow as we look at the light fixtures and the concert hall's pipe organ.
8 comments:
Quite incredible attention to detail, but then if you want to produce excellence...
Great pictures of what looks a magnificent concert hall! Always found a bit odd that people do not check their coats when attending a performance... so the Symphony requirement would not surprise me!
Sorry for having been a bit absent lately, but I was abroad on a professional trip last week. One day I’ll probably show some pictures from a somehow unusual destination...
Trying to recover some time, I’m posting on Germany (Koblenz, December 2005) on Blogtrotter.
Enjoy and have a great week!
Gil
wwooww I would love to be in that place, I like the colour of the chairs. not common !!!
A glorious place! Beautiful.
"There is, by the way, a 3,000 square-foot, fully equipped commercial kitchen"
I have to see that! :)
that;s a beautiful venue. I love the way to took the first picture. It looks extreme big
I think that 1st photo is awsome with the lights and the seating.
You must visit Portugal... nearby the place I live there's Braga... they have the so called Theatro Circo (Circus Theatre) that as somes lights like those...
And, between us, Fátima is going to have a new enormous church... and the food here is yummie, yummie....
Both images feature a superb building not only technically advanced but ideal to take the most out of musicians and to create the perfect atmosphere and acoustics that these spaces require.
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